During the summer of 2014, just after the Sunflower Movement, William Lai Ching-te visited the US for the first time as mayor of Tainan. Someone as popular locally as him had a strong chance to move up to a higher level once the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) got back in power, and the US political sphere was also keen to observe how this political star of the DPP camp conducted himself.

During his visit, he stopped in Washington, DC, for three days, including private meetings with two major think tanks. He delivered speeches in English with great composure, without referring even once to his notes. This was the first time that Lai had stepped onto the international stage.

In the month leading up to his trip, he carried his English script in his jacket pocket, reviewing it whenever he had a spare moment. “That was a script full of specialized jargon, which most people would need to keep looking up in a dictionary to follow along,’ recalled a staff member that accompanied Lai on his American visit. Prior to the trip, someone suggested revising the script to be more straightforward, but the confident Lai nixed the idea.

The facts proved that any concerns were unwarranted. “He put in the work to absorb and digest the text,” offered a relieved staffer. True to his style, Lai “gives 100 percent to anything he does.”

Trust in Efforts

William Lai Ching-te. (Photo: Chien-Ying Chiu)

Perhaps it was because Lai was aware that one day he would challenge for the presidency. And now, after nearly a decade, he is finally standing in the ring. If he wins, he will become the first vice president to be elected president since Taiwan began holding direct presidential elections. Further, he would break the established precedent of no party remaining in power for more than two terms.

Having lost his father to a mining accident at a young age, he and his six siblings were raised by their mother, who supported the family by taking various odd jobs.  Lai’s mother had aspirations for him to become a doctor since he was little. He studied hard, getting into the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department at National Taiwan University (NTU), before getting his MD degree from National Cheng Kung University as a kidney specialist in internal medicine.

During the 1994 elections for provincial governor, Lai was promoted to serve as the director of the national coalition of physicians for (DPP candidate) Chen Ding-nan. Lai displayed impressive talent, marked by strong public speaking skills on stage, and an ability to use medical language to criticize politics.

Shortly after the election, the DPP asked the young doctor with mass appeal to run for National Assembly in Tainan. At first he refused, until the 1996 missile crisis in the Taiwan Strait, when he was stirred by the words “a doctor can only help one person at a time; a position in public office can help many more people,” and set his mind upon getting involved in politics.

William Lai's original intention of turning to politics was to help more people. Now he hopes to serve as president and work to improve the lives of 23 million people.

Subsequently, over the course of four legislative and two mayoral elections, Lai has gone undefeated.

Willfulness vs. Stubbornness

Working hard to earn success has also shaped another of his traits - strong determination.

Once, when Tainan City Council Speaker, Lee Chuan-chiao, was under suspicion of vote buying, Lai refused to enter the assembly chambers to face questioning for 232 days. Five years ago, when the DPP suffered a dismal defeat in the 9-way election, Lai resigned from the premiership. Then, unexpectedly, during party primaries for the presidential nomination, he came out of nowhere to challenge the sitting president, Tsai Ing-wen.

(Photo: Chien-Ying Chiu)

Although nearly everyone stood against him in that battle, he nonetheless refused to stand down, going on to taste a major defeat for the first time in his political career. And although he would join forces with Tsai as her lieutenant and go on to claim victory, ultimately he would be the one that would have to repair the damage done by the intra-party combat.

Lai’s various feats of strong-headed determination have given many people the impression that he is a resolute decision-maker. This put him in a bit of jeopardy earlier in the current presidential campaign.

Last September, when his opponent attacked him, claiming that his family home in Wanli was an illegal structure, some DPP insiders feared that the controversy could spiral and counseled him to handle it without delay. However, William Lai only gave a public explanation, taking no further action until December, when the controversy resurfaced. With the race tightening, he finally announced that the home would be put in a charity trust, a move that was seen as missing the optimal time to act.

Over the past three-plus years, WIlliam Lai has taken some of the edge off of his sharp personality, carefully playing the role of silent lieutenant. The exception being, two times per week, Lai invites business figures, scholars, and legislators for a book club meeting, actively enriching his knowledge of domestic affairs.

After entering the presidential race, Lai further collaborated with the New Frontier Foundation, former Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chun's Foundation for Future Generations, and various Taiwanese think tanks, to formulate the National Hope Project, outlining Lai's political direction.

One company chairman who participated in the reading group notes, observed a change in public perception towards Lai. Previously seen by the public as "stubborn and unwilling to listen," Lai showed an openness and willingness to learn within the book club. In internal party meetings, Lai actively invites outside voices opposing the ruling party's policies to speak more often, in an effort to break through the echo chamber.

However, whether Lai can reduce the risk of war remains a focal point for his opponents.

"Peace is the most important mission for me as president, and I will do my utmost to prevent conflict," responds Lai. "I believe that when Taiwan demonstrates strength and determination, democratic countries worldwide will not sit idly by if China attempts to unilaterally change the status quo through the use of force."

In the presidential race, carrying both the resources and burdens of an incumbent, Lai's ability to maintain public trust is the key to success. The following is our interview with DPP presidential candidate William Lai, edited for brevity:

CommonWealth (CW): In the latest CommonWealth Top 2000 CEO Survey, business leaders were concerned about the potential outbreak of war across the Taiwan Strait. What concrete actions will you take to reassure businesses and foreign investors to invest in Taiwan?

Lai: On top of the foundation set by President Tsai’s Four Commitments, I will continue to promote the Four Pillars of Peace Action Plan. As long as there is parity and respect, my door is always open for dialogue with China, and I am also happy to promote peace and prosperity together with China.

Enterprise and foreign businesses continue to invest in Taiwan. The DPP administration has promoted the Three Major Plans for Investing in Taiwan since 2019, attracting around NT$2.1 trillion in return investment from Taiwanese businesses, as well as over NT$2.4 trillion in foreign investment.

Under the DPP’s governance, major players in AI, such as Nvidia and AMD, have established logistics centers in Taiwan. Additionally, three of the world's top semiconductor equipment manufacturers - ASML, Applied Materials, and Lam Research—have set up advanced research and development centers in Taiwan, displaying international confidence in Taiwan.

CW: Your opponent questions whether you are a “pragmatic promoter of Taiwanese independence,” fearing the outbreak of war after you’re elected to the presidency. After assuming office, how will you initiate dialogue with China and work to reduce those risks?

Lai: Xi Jinping has defined the "1992 Consensus" as the "One China Principle" under the "One Country, Two Systems" framework.

The Beijing government has never accepted the existence of the Republic of China (ROC) and its constitution. Therefore, Mayor Hou Yu-yi's advocacy for a "1992 Consensus that conforms to the ROC constitution" is contradictory.

“1992 Consensus” is Dangerous; Willing to Engage in Equal Dialogue

I support healthy, orderly, and mutually respectful cross-strait exchanges, and I’m willing to engage in dialogue without any preconditions. During my visit to Shanghai in 2014, I proposed replacing cross-strait antagonism with cooperation, advocating for exchange over isolation. In the future, I will continue to approach cross-strait relations with goodwill, and accept accountability for reducing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and ensuring the peaceful status quo.

CW: Companies prioritize energy. Besides concerns about ample power supplies, green energy is also a focus. Nuclear energy, while not green, is one of the low-carbon electricity options. If renewable energy faces obstacles in implementation, would you consider adjusting your energy policy and implementation schedule?

Lai: After taking inventory of all electricity demands, the government estimates an annual electricity growth of approximately one million kilowatt-hours between now and 2030. The addition of new large gas-fired units will increase the net power supply by 9.1 million kilowatt-hours, ensuring a more stable energy supply in Taiwan.

To meet our 2050 net-zero carbon emissions target, Taiwan must accelerate the development and implementation of renewable energy. The DPP actively promotes green energy to meet businesses’ needs. Starting in 2025, at least eight billion kilowatt-hours of green energy can be added annually, far exceeding the additional growth in demand of three billion kilowatt-hours of green energy from business and industry.

Stable energy supply with LNG, close watch on nuclear fusion

Discussing nuclear energy should be based on scientific arguments. The public voted in a referendum against reactivating the country’s fourth nuclear power plant in 2021. As for extending the lifespan of existing nuclear power plants, it is not feasible for Taiwan without first resolving the issue of nuclear waste.

Future leaders must take up the responsibility of nuclear waste disposal. I will also closely monitor the development of nuclear energy technology, especially nuclear fusion technology that does not produce nuclear waste. As long as the safety of nuclear power generation is ensured, and nuclear waste can be properly handled, Taiwanese society will not reject nuclear energy. However, these conditions have not currently been met.

CW: Please give us an analysis of your qualities as a person. What makes you more qualified as president compared to your two other opponents?

Lai:

Hsiao Bi-khim (Lai’s running mate) and I are the only ticket with both local and international experience. We both share a sense of mission for our homeland, and responsibility for the country. We have well-rounded experience, and have made a firm choice to uphold democracy, peace, and trust in Taiwan.

(Photo: Chien-Tong Wang)

In my early years as a doctor, I chose the profession not because I believed doctors were superior, but because it allowed me to listen to patients' needs and prescribe the right treatments for them.

In 1996, I decided to leave medicine for politics because, as a doctor, I could only help one person at a time, but public service could help many more people simultaneously. I entered politics with a mission, dedicating myself wholeheartedly and without reservation.

Forging the “William Lai Way”

CW: Some question your policy platform as being a continuation. How can you convince the Taiwanese people that you are not just Tsai Ing-wen 2.0, and will be able to forge your own way?

Lai: President Tsai’s accomplishments in office are there for all to see. And I have been a part of her administration for the past eight years.

In the face of change, I have a belief: the world is changing, and Taiwan must seize new opportunities. Therefore, on the foundation of President Tsai's governance, I will promote the National Hope Project, transforming Taiwan's economic development model from production- and efficiency-driven success to an "innovation-driven" economic growth model to power the next wave of growth.

My vision for future national development has crystallized into the National Hope Project, spanning 19 fields and over 200 policy proposals. This demonstrates a "William Lai Way" that maintains continuity with past achievements while promoting and facilitating innovation. Looking ahead, I will work to safeguard existing accomplishments while promoting reform, to lead the country to prosperity.

CW: What kind of country will Taiwan become under your leadership?

Lai: A united country, embracing citizens with different political affiliations, collectively strengthening the Republic of China, Taiwan. The DPP was founded in order to establish a democratic system. We seek to govern so as to build an ideal nation, look after our people domestically, and expand our international horizons externally, while resisting China’s ambitions for annexation.

When I become president, I hope that people will see me not as the color of the DPP, and as the color of someone uniting Taiwan to bring about hope for our nation’s future.

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Have you read?

• Taiwan presidential candidate Hou: The first thing I want to do is take away the fear
• The Cop Who Became Taiwan’s Top-rated Mayor 
• Taipei Mayor-elect Ko Wen-je: Aspiring for a More Just Society

Translated by David Toman
Uploaded by Ian Huang